3818-50-6

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Questions And Answer

• Pharmacology and mechanism of action

  Bephenium is a quaternary ammonium compound first introduced into clinical medicine in 1958. It has a wide anthelminthic activity, in particular against Ancylostoma duodenale and Ascaris lumbricoides.
  The mechanism of action of bephenium is similar to that of pyrantel and levamisole (see the monograph on levamisole, p. 74).
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• Indications

  Infections with Ancylostoma duodenale, Ascaris lumbricoides and Necator americanus. Superior alternative drugs are available today.
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• Side effects

  The drug has a bitter taste which might cause some patients especially children to refuse intake or vomit. This may be minimized by giving the drug with a sweet drink. Some individuals experience transient nausea, vomiting and headache after drug intake. Vertigo is occasionally reported.
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• Contraindications

  There are no known contraindications to the drug.
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• Interactions

  Bephenium has antagonistic effects to piperazine. However, no interactions were reported when the two drugs were combined together during helminthic therapy ^[1].
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• Preparations

  5 g bephenium hydroxynaphthoate contains 2.9 g bephenium.
  
  • Alcopar® (Wellcome). Sachet containing 5 g of bephenium hydroxynaphthoate. ;

• References

  1. Goodwin LG, Jayewardene LG, Standen OD (1958). Clinical trials with bephenium hydroxynaphthoate against hookworm in Ceylon. BMJ, 2, 1572–1576. ;

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